ESPRESSO WITH MARIELENA… “The most interesting man in the Catholic Church”

Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi (above and below right) known as “the most interesting man in the Catholic church,” is the President of the Pontifical Council for Culture. Cardinal Ravasi will be hosting an international conference, the TEDx Vatican cultural event, where believers and non-believers can share their ideas. Some of his fellow Cardinals, pictured below, appear to be marveling at Ravasi’s “cultural taste”– which includes Amy Winehouse, Gloria Estefan and Muslim graffiti “artist” Mohammed Ali, known as “Aerosol Arabic.”

But is Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi really that interesting– or is he part of a Catholic Church hierarchy in free fall? Let’s find out.

This punk rocker, Patti Smith, was named a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture. That’s right.

Let me know if you need another espresso…

Now that you have an idea of Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi’s “cultural” taste, you need to remind yourself that this man is the President of the Pontifical Council for Culture.

Cardinal Ravasi is an example of why the Roman Catholic hierarchy is in free fall– and why parents must make critical decisions to provide their children with proper Roman Catholic formation.

Background on TEDx

TEDx Via della Conciliazione is “an independently organized TED event”– in other words, a spin of TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design)– a global conference created almost 30 years ago in California.

TEDx Via della Conciliazione is being promoted in collaboration with the Courtyard of the Gentiles– a “creative space” where believers and non- believers can share their ideas. The Courtyard of the Gentiles was promoted by Benedict XVI, and brought to fruition by the Pontifical Council for Culture.

The Courtyard of the Gentiles was launched on March 24-25, 2011 at the Paris headquarters of (guess where? ) …UNESCO! surrounded by international officials, diplomats and other representatives of “culture.” How charming.

Yet– “the most interesting man in the Catholic Church” chose to launch the Courtyard of the Gentiles at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris– so that we could all be “enlightened.”

Let’s confront this situation head on. This Pontifical Council for Culture is involved in materialistic atheism, disguised as dialogue. In other words, socialism.

As for the scientific and social dialogue program carried out by the Pontifical Council for Culture– who says that the Roman Catholic Church has to dialogue with socialists, atheists, pro-abortion and pro-gay marriage advocates– in order to learn about the latest scientific advances? The Roman Catholic Church has more than 2,000 years of scientific and cultural engagement with, and contributions to the world of science– without the need of putting materialistic atheists on a pedestal.

This type of morally bankrupt activity should serve as an indication to Catholics all over the world– as to how portions of their donations are being spent by the current Vatican hierarchy.

TEDx Via della Conciliazione will be hosted by “the most interesting man in the Catholic Church,” Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, in Rome on April 19, under the theme of “Religious Freedom Today.”

“Religious Freedom” is a poor criteria

During my campaign for the United States Senate (2012) I emphasized that the term “religious freedom” is a poor criteria on which to base public policies, especially since “religious freedom” can easily be used to justify unjust and perverted actions, policies and programs. For example, “religious freedom” is currently being used to replace the “right to privacy” as a means of insuring open-ended abortion in line with the landmark Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision of 1973. The basis for all public policies should not rest on ambiguous catch phrases like “religious freedom,” but rather on the Commandments of God and on the Natural Law which binds all men, for all times, and in all circumstances.

Some of Cardinal Ravasi’s confirmed “cultured” guests for TEDx 2013…

Consider who these “cultured” guests are…

Gloria Estefan, the Cuban-born pop singer, is one of the confirmed “cultured” guests at TEDx. Estefan’s record of denouncing socialism and the Castro regime appeared to be consistent, that is– until she decided to honorBarack Obama in her own home, by hosting a fundraiser for him. Barack Obama is a disaster, both from the perspective of America’s future– and from the perspective of his policies towards Cuba. Barack Obama is a socialist, loved by socialists around the world— and the most pro-abortion president in the history of this nation. Gloria Estefan’s fundraiser for Barack Obama at her own home was a deplorable action— and certainly NOT in line with the political opinion of the majority of Cubans exiled in the Miami area, where she resides.

Socially speaking, Estefan has had a long, tight-knit relationship with the gay community— a community which she openly supports.

Gloria Estefan’s very public actions described above, are not in accordance with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church– and certainly do not represent the majority of the Cuban diaspora, politically or socially speaking.

If Gloria Estefan considers herself a member of the Catholic community, then one can only imagine that she did not read the following rules from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, before carrying out the political and social public actions described above:

“The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.”– From Catholics in Political Life (USCCB 2004).

Given that TEDx is being promoted in collaboration with the Courtyard of the Gentiles, will “the most interesting man in the Catholic Church” clarify if he is hosting Gloria Estefan as a non-believer and former Roman Catholic?– thus she is only there to do the Conga.

It is obvious that “the most interesting man in the Catholic Church” at his Pontifical Council for Culture, is not interested in having a “dialogue” at TEDx on April 19, with conservative, practicing Roman Catholics from the Cuban diaspora– who not only respect their Roman Catholic faith and traditions—but who can speak authentically about the persecution, torture, imprisonment and death of Cubans under Castro’s Communist regime–from a Christian perspective.

The above scenario is only a glimpse of why Catholics have left the Church in droves during the last 50 years, feeling disheartened, abandoned and disoriented.

Mohammed Ali, aka “Aerosol Arabic” is the other confirmed “cultured” guest– whose graffiti is found in European cities, as well as in other parts of the world. It is impossible to reason how the Vatican can possibly learn from, or make any connection with this man’s graffiti work– in light of the intellectual and cultural history of the Roman Catholic Church.

Perhaps it is time for Cardinal Ravasi (“the most interesting man in the Catholic Church”) to read INSCRUTABILI DEI CONSILIO (Pope Leo XIII’s Encyclical on the Evils of Society)—where he warned about “the shamelessness of those who, full of treachery, make semblance of being champions of country, of freedom, and every kind of right; in fine, the deadly kind of plague which infects in its inmost recesses…”.

In this Encyclical, Pope Leo XIII also stated that, “Our predecessors, to provide for the peoples’ good, encountered struggles of every kind, endured to the utmost burdensome toils, and never hesitated to expose themselves to most dangerous trials. With eyes fixed on heaven, they neither bowed down their head before the threats of the wicked, nor allowed themselves to be led by flattery or bribes into unworthy compliance.”

Based on Cardinal Ravasi’s “cultural taste” and the absolute clueless way in which he deals with the world– I believe he is actually “the biggest fool in the College of Cardinals– andthe most uninformed man in the Catholic Church.” By saying this I am being kind. The other option is to simply say that this “most interesting man in the Catholic Church” is living out, at the very least, his socialist fantasies.

Blind fools, which is greater, the gold, or the temple that consecrates the gold?— Matthew 23:17

These were the words of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus never minced words. Jesus always spoke the truth.

Come back for another ‘Espresso with Marielena…’ where the roast is very dark, the coffee is very sweet– and the words flow with tenacity.

REFERENCE / QUOTE AND ARTICLE: The following is an excerpt from an interview with Gloria Estefan, published in the Miami Herald, titled Golden Girl(archived by Florida International University):

Question: Are you religious?

Gloria Estefan:Not in a dogmatic way. [She points out a sculpture of a Chinese figure in meditation, over which a rosary has been draped.]

The rosary was blessed by the Pope. Emilio put it there. I go, Emilio, this man is not Christian, you know. That’s our take on religion. I was raised Catholic. I don’t go for the rituals and the dogma. I don’t think it’s necessary. I do greatly believe in the spirit and the message.

Question: Do you think it’s typical for young Cubans to be less religious?

Gloria Estefan:I don’t know about other religions, but Catholics in general tend to be more irreverent, because some of those rules, they’re man-made. And also it’s a huge political body, the Catholic Church. That’s how it started; it was all political.

UPDATE:April 20, 2013 – In spite of her contempt for dogma and rituals in the Catholic Church, Gloria Estefan boasted to her Twitter fans about her meeting with “Pope” Francis today. (Read: WHY “POPE”?)

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